NTPC to complete Chhabra plant acquisition in two months

Kolkata, Sep 12 (IANS) State-run power producer NTPC Ltd is expecting to complete the acquisition of the Chhabra Thermal Power Plant from the Rajasthan government in a month or two, an official said on Tuesday.

"We are taking over Chhabra power plant and going by regulated depreciated book value subject to approval of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. The running plant is of 1,000 MW and 1,320 MW capacity is under construction. The cost of the running plant comes to around Rs 4,000 crore," NTPC Director, Finance, K. Biswal said here.

"The deal is expected to be over in a month or two," he said on the sidelines of the Indian Coal Markets Conference organised by the e-commerce company-mjunction - a joint venture between Tata Steel and Steel Authority of India (SAIL).

In January, a tripartite MoU was signed between NTPC, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd. and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. for the transfer.

Under the MoU, four units of 250 MW each of the plant will be transferred to NTPC in the first phase while two units of 660 MW each will be transferred after commissioning.

Biswal also said the power producer would dismantle old thermal power plants only after commissioning new plants.

"We are planning to retire some old plants those which are, say, fifty years old like Talcher. Present capacity of Talcher plant is 460 MW. We will add higher capacity and then will dismantle the old one," he said.

Pn the stock of coal in the power plants, he said: " Out of 22 stations, coal stock in our 13 power stations has come down to less than three days. However, the supply is improving."

He said supplies from Coal India was affected due to rains along with logistic hurdles were manin reasons for shortages of coal stock.

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